ACUSHNET — The Girl Scouts drove up the attendance at the annual Town Meeting May 20, resulting in an overwhelming victory for their petition article for a new library/community center. Their success brings the proposal back before voters at the June 25 special election for U.S. senator.

Comment

By Peggy Aulisio

southcoasttoday.com

By Peggy Aulisio

Posted May. 23, 2013 at 11:10 AM

By Peggy Aulisio
Posted May. 23, 2013 at 11:10 AM

» Social News

ACUSHNET — The Girl Scouts drove up the attendance at the annual Town Meeting May 20, resulting in an overwhelming victory for their petition article for a new library/community center. Their success brings the proposal back before voters at the June 25 special election for U.S. senator.

The library/community center passed at the fall Town Meeting, but was defeated by 36 votes in a special election in February. Disappointed by the loss of their meeting place at the community center, the Girl Scouts, with help from their mothers, garnered close to 700 signatures in just four days. It was far more than the 100 needed to get their petition article on the annual Town Meeting warrant and give the library/community center another chance.

Long lines waited to get into the Ford Middle School auditorium Monday. Some families brought children and infants in tow.

Right after the vote on the library, which was article No. 1 on the special Town Meeting warrant, the room emptied out, leaving about half the seats empty that were previously filled.

The meeting lasted just over an hour and a half with most articles passing easily. They included spending $60,000 of Community Preservation Act funds to move the Severance house to the Acushnet Saw Mill and restore it.

Voters also approved a Residential Village District to allow infill of small lots and a moratorium on medical marijuana shops. They easily passed a $27 million town budget.

Advocates for the library/community center pointed out that it lost by just 36 votes and that the town stood to lose a $3.2 million state grant to fund half the cost. The cost to taxpayers of an average home is about $40 a year.

Along with the scouts, speaking on behalf of the library was a disabled teacher, a paraplegic, who said she has to go to the library in New Bedford because the Russell Library in Acushnet isn't handicap-accessible.

Roland Gailitis said he learned from his experience escaping from Europe during World War II that the only way to "combat ignorance is through knowledge."

There was some discussion and questions about other articles, including why two mowers for the golf course would cost close to $100,000. Golf committee members said they were for cutting in the "rough" and had to be more powerful than normal mowers.

Norm Fredette of the Board of Public Works said they needed a new generator because the one they have now is from 1946 "and the parts are hard to come by."

Selectman explained why it made sense to move the Severance house, on what is also often called the Cusson property. This property across from the cemetery on Main Road, was bought by the library for a possible site before plans changed and the trustees focused on Middle Road.

Selectman David Wojnar said the property is more sellable without the old part of the house, which is in disrepair. Later, he said the lot can accommodate two houses because it will be in the new Residential Village District.

Town Planner Henry Young said the new Residential Village District will allow for gradual infill of 30-50 lots, which in some cases are 10,000 square feet. He said this was the norm for house lots in this area until the town started requiring 60,000 square foot lots in zoning changes from the mid-1970s-1990s.

Mr. Young said it made sense to allow for more development in the specified area because there is municipal water and sewer there. He described the new district by saying it will include well known places like P.J. Keating, the former Titleist, the Acushnet Saw Mill, Roseland Nursery, St. Xavier School and Pope Park.

"We're already accustomed to smaller lots in this area so it's not a radical change," he said.

Soon after, voters approved an 18-month moratorium on medical marijuana shops and an article expediting permits for alternative energy manufacturing. Mr. Young said the town normally approves such companies within a year anyway, but the bylaw makes Acushnet eligible for grants. Voters also approved the adoption of a state "Stretch Energy Code," which regulates "the design and construction of buildings for the effective use of energy."